Disclaimer: This is sponsored content. All opinions and views are of Monarch Mountainand does not reflect the same of KOAA.
A windy, cold, and snowy weekend is ahead at our ski resorts. As we enter March, many of our resorts have now passed 200 inches of snow for the season to date. Steamboat is having a banner year, with 294 inches on the season now, more than the 285 that typically falls in a full season. Snowfall statewide in the final week of February wasn't that dramatic by the standards of what we've seen this winter, but with a good winter storm hitting early in the week, our western and northern mountains have done well. Base depths entering this weekend are generally on par with where they stood last week at this time, plus or minus 3 inches. Aspen's mountains fared the best, with base depths up significantly.
![Steamboat and Winter Park are the two current prize winners for season to date snowfall](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/901a26e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F83%2F25%2Fa32d0b244c52bc52dd39ceb23691%2Fsnowtotalsseasontodate.jpg)
![Base depths have not changed much since last week - expect similar overall conditions on the trails.](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/307c05b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb0%2F81%2Fba0a43034e21b9c646ae67eefc3a%2Fbase-depths.jpg)
The big story this weekend will be much more active weather - unlike the partly cloudy to mainly sunny skies we had last weekend. Winds are going to be a concern for the next several days. Friday will be mainly sunny but very windy particularly in the first half of the day, gusting anywhere from 45-65 mph depending on where you are. It'll also be cold with highs in the 30s on Friday, and teens to 20s Saturday along with even stronger wind gusts. Wind chills Saturday will generally be in the single digits to negative.
![Moderate to heavy snow will fall on Sunday in the high country, along with very gusty winds](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/db0fda5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F13%2F18%2F84af2b8d458fb778fe29a214544c%2Ffuturecastnam3ksun.jpg)
A cold front will sweep across the state Saturday night into Sunday morning from northwest to southeast. Sunday will be both windy and snowy. Wind gusts will again reach 60 mph, with snowfall rates at times above 1"/hour. Thundersnow is also possible - generally in the central and southwestern mountains. If you love intense snow, Sunday is great. If not - it is not your day...Friday is the pick, Saturday is OK. Also, factor in that with that intense snow, travel will be challenging, and being outside in those conditions will require extra layers.
![Colder this weekend at some of our resorts than last weekend - though as usual this will be elevation dependent...lower elevation resorts will be warmer than the highs listed here.](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f4b373b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdd%2F73%2Fb286e1f9451382359aeb9f1f3358%2Fweekendfcstabasin.jpg)
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